Popstar Delta Goodrem to play Australian Grizabella

An all-Australian cast has been announced for the Australian tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats.

An all-Australian cast has been announced for the highly anticipated national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, which will be headed by pop-superstar Delta Goodrem in the role of Grizabella. The role has become one of musical theatre’s most star-studded turns, with the likes of Elaine Paige, Betty Buckley and most recently Nicole Scherzinger performing in past productions.

Goodrem, who is currently one of the judges on the reality TV talent show The Voice Australia, shared her delight at being cast in what she described as “one of the most iconic roles,” in musical theatre. “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work is extraordinary and his music speaks to people all around the world. I am so honoured to have the opportunity to share Andrew’s music and Grizabella with a whole new generation of Australian audiences,” she said.

London’s West End 2014/15 production of Cats

The production coming to Australia is a reworking of the original 1981 production, refreshed by the original creative team: Director Trevor Nunn, Choreographer Gillian Lynne and Designer John Napier. The 21st-Century update includes a hip-hop reimagining for the role of Rum Tum Tugger, who raps and break dances.

Musical theatre impresario and producer Cameron Mackintosh is clearly falling head over heels for Australia. Following the smash-hit success and critical praise for Les Misérables, which has had successful runs in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney over the past year, Music Theatre International, the world’s leading musical theatre library, operated by Mackintosh, announced they would be opening an Australasian office in Melbourne to licence productions from Mackintosh’s stable of musical theatre favourites Down Under. As expected, shortly after Mackintosh announced a new Australian production of perhaps his most successful property, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, which will tour across country, visiting Sydney, Hobart, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide from October.